Crossing Paths
by TundraBreeze
Summary: Kaoru is a rurouni and an assassin. When she crosses paths with the Battousai, what will happen? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. ( Oh well.  
  
A/N: This is my first fanfic so I would love reviews!  
  
Chapter1  
  
Kaoru sighed as she sat down to rest on a rock. 'What did I do to deserve this?' Thought Kaoru as she rubbed her sore feet. Kamiya Kaoru had been a wandering spirit ever since her parents had died. They had died when she was only ten; when some punks had set their house on fire. Kaoru's father was able to get her out of the house, but when he went back in for her mother, the house had collapsed on them. After her parents had died Kaoru sought shelter with a man who found her wandering the streets. Kaoru never knew the man's real name, but she always called him Sensei. Her Sensei taught her how to fight and how to defend herself. Years later when her Sensei had fallen, he gave Kaoru his Katana right before he had died. Nine years later and Kaoru was a Rurouni, and was hired by various people to assassinate their enemies. Kaoru was not proud of the job, but it had beat being a prostitute. 'Well I better get going if I want to find my target' thought Kaoru. Kaoru had recently been hired to kill a man by the name of Katsuki Kuro (sorry if the names bad, but I made it up). Kaoru thought the name had sounded familiar, but she paid little attention to it. The man who had hired her wished to remain anonymous, but as long as Kaoru got paid she didn't care.  
  
"Do you know what to do once you've captured the girl?" asked a low voice. "Yes, once I have captured her I am to take her back to my apartment and wait for further instructions," a cold voice replied. "Good, don't fail me Battousai." Said the low voice. Battousai hung the phone up and shook his head. He didn't know why he worked for that idiot. 'I guess it's because I need the money' He thought to himself. 'Oh well, now who's my target again?' Battousai looked at a piece of paper that lie on his kitchen counter and read the name that was on it. Kamiya Kaoru. ' A Woman! What could they want with her?' He pondered. 'Oh well, only one way to find out.' And with that thought still on his mind, he grabbed his Katana and went out the door.  
  
A/N: Well how do you like it? I would love reviews! And don't worry my next chapters will be longer. Thanks for reading! 


	2. Chapter 2

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Oh well.  
  
A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed my fic!  
  
Yami Jeff: Thank you so much for your flattering comment! And there's a telephone in the fic because it takes place in a more modernized setting.  
  
Donna8157: Thank you also for your review!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Kaoru was perched on top on a roof, where she sat watching her target exiting a bar. Since the sun had set a while ago, the darkness gave Kaoru all the cover she needed. Kaoru jumped off the roof and hid in the shadows that lie in front of her oblivious target. 'Stupid man' thought Kaoru 'he should know that it's not wise to be wandering around by himself at this hour.' Kaoru waited in silence as footsteps approached the spot where she hid. As soon as the footsteps got close enough, Kaoru jumped out from her hiding space. "Katsuki Kuro I have to claim your life." she stated coldly. The man in front of her was barely visible through the shadows. "Sorry, but you won't be claiming Katsuki's life anytime soon." Said a voice colder than hers. A man with flaming red hair, not much taller than her, stepped out of the shadows. She knew at once who the man was. The gleaming gold eyes and the cross-shaped scar were dead give a ways. She had found herself face to face with the Battousai.  
  
"What do you want with me?" asked Kaoru. " You're coming with me." He stated. "What if I refuse?" asked Kaoru in a steady voice. " I would advise you not to." He said blankly. " Well, then I guess you'll just have to take me by force!" she yelled drawing her katana. Battousai sighed. 'I was hoping she that she wouldn't make this difficult. '  
Battousai drew his katana, just in time to block an attack by Kaoru. Battousai knew that he could easily beat her, but he wanted to see how skilled she was. Kaoru blocked all his attacks with skill, but was unable to make even a scratch on him. They continued to fight each other for ten minutes, until Battousai decided that he had had enough. With his Godlike speed he disappeared from sight. 'Where did he go?' thought Kaoru. Just then she felt something connect sharply with her head. ' What does he want with me?' Was Kaoru's last thought before she succumbed to darkness.  
Battousai smirked. For some reason he was attracted to this girl. 'Maybe it's because she has such fiery personality.' Battousai shook his head. He knew it was better not to get involved with his targets. He took Kaoru's limp form in his arms and sped away into the waning darkness.  
  
Kaoru groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. Her head was throbbing and the bright light that filtered in through the windows weren't helping. Kaoru suddenly sat upright, as soon as her mind processed that she wasn't in her apartment. 'Where am?' she thought looking around the room. "I see your awake." Said a voice, startling her. She turned around to see the Battousai sitting in the corner of the room. 'How long has he been there?' wondered Kaoru.  
Battousai had been watching her all the while she slept, wondering what his boss wanted with her. He smiled inwardly at the image of her sleeping form. 'She looked so peaceful.' Battousai was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when Kaoru hit him in the face. "You hentai!" she shouted at him. Battousai quickly ducked as Kaoru attempted to punch him in the face again. Battousai grabbed her wrist tightly. "Stop." He angrily commanded. She stopped at once and gulped at the glare he was giving her.  
"Firstly, you will never do that again," he said, "secondly you will obey me, and lastly you will not try to escape, or you will be punished severely. Under stood?" She didn't quite trust her voice, so she merely nodded. "Good. Now come, I'll prepare breakfast." He got up and exited the room, and Kaoru followed. She followed him down a small hall and into a kitten/living room. All the furniture in the living room was dark red and there was a brick fireplace. On the mantle of the fireplace, there sat Battousai's katana. Kaoru went over to examine it, but stopped abruptly when Battousai said, " Don't touch anything." Kaoru gave him a quick glare and sat down on the couch in silence. Minutes past and Kaoru found herself startled out of her thought as Battousai announced that breakfast was ready. Kaoru went over to the kitchen counter where she saw a bowl of miso soup. She didn't refuse to eat since she was starving. Battousai watched in shock as she wolfed down her food within seconds. "Mmmm, good soup Battousai. "Don't call me Battousai." He said sharply. "Then what should I call you?" said Kaoru a little taken aback. "You can call me Kenshin." He replied. "Fine, then you can just call me Kaoru." Said Kaoru. 'Kenshin. That name suites him.' Thought Kaoru. After eating breakfast and cleaning up, Kenshin went over to Kaoru, who was sitting on the couch. "I'm leaving for a little while, don't touch anything, and don't try to escape while I'm gone." He said coldly. Kaoru nodded her head and then asked, "Where are you going?" "If you must know, I'm meeting with my boss." He replied. He then grabbed his sword and walked out the door. Just then Kaoru yelled after him, "What the hell am I supposed to do while your gone!" Kenshin didn't answer. But she knew he heard her. After minutes went by and Kaoru was sure Kenshin was gone, she got up and ran to the door. She found that he had not forgotten to lock the door. She then went over to the window to find that they were on the sixth floor. 'To far to jump.' She thought. She started to wonder what he had done with her katana, and found herself searching his apartment for it.  
  
A/N: Well do you like this chapter? I would love reviews! Like I said before I'm going to try to make the chapters longer, but right now it's late and I have to go to school tomorrow. Till the next chapter, Bye. 


	3. Chapter 3

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Oh well.  
  
A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed my fic! ;) Sorry I took so long to update!  
  
Assassin Gundam: Thanks, and this does in the 19th Century!  
  
Ymir-chan: Thank you!  
  
Kaoru Gal: Don't worry I'll make the chapters longer.  
  
l3al3yanime: I'm glad you like it!  
  
Yami Jeff: Thank you very much, and I'll be sure to fix that mistake!  
  
Ya sure: Thank you very much! ^_^X  
  
Chapter 3  
  
'Finally!' thought Kaoru, as she pulled out her katana from underneath the couch. She had been searching for it for an hour, and had finally come across it when she looked under the couch. " What a stupid place to hide it!" said Kaoru pulling the katana out of its sheath, to make sure it wasn't damaged. Once satisfied, that it was undamaged, she slid it back its sheath. 'I'll be sure to give him a nice welcome when he gets back.' Thought Kaoru, as she went to stand by the window and watch for him.  
  
Kenshin parked his car in front of the Tea House, where he usually met with his boss. Once inside, he went over to a table in the corner, where a cloaked man sat.  
"Glad to see you made it here, Battousai." Said the same low voice from the phone conversation.  
Kenshin took a seat facing the man. " What did you call me here for?" he asked. "I called you here to tell you that, that girl will be staying with you for a while. She will be useful to me later on, but I can't have her interfering with any of my plans. That is why you will keep her out of trouble in the meantime. You can do as you please with her, but don't kill her." Answered seriously.  
"Why is she so important to you?" Kenshin asked.  
" Lets just say that there's more to her than meets the eye, and that I have a score to settle." Said the man. Kenshin started to ask him another question, but before he could ask it, the man rose from his seat and exited the Tea House. Kenshin was left alone with his thoughts.  
  
By the time Kenshin got back to his apartment, it was already dark outside. Kenshin was so caught up in his thoughts, that he didn't notice a figure standing in the shadows. As he shut the apartment door, he was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, as someone rushed at him. He just barley had enough time to draw out his sword and block the attack.  
The attacker attempted to attack him again, but Kenshin easily blocked it. Kenshin swiftly knocked the persons feet out from underneath them, and pinned them to the ground. Kenshin was surprised to see that his attacker was Kaoru. 'Is she brave or just stupid?' Kenshin asked himself.  
"What do you think you're doing?" growled Kenshin, his amber eyes glowing with anger. "Get off of me!" sneered Kaoru.  
"Not until you tell me why you attacked me." Said Kenshin calmly.  
"I thought it was obvious," said Kaoru rolling her eyes, "Do you think I want to be held captive here?"  
Kenshin growled at her. "If you attack me again you will wish that you were dead, got it?"  
Kaoru merely nodded her head. He reluctantly got off of her. He had liked the feeling of her underneath him. Kenshin sighed and went to the bathroom. He needed a nice cold shower.  
  
Kaoru let the breath she had been holding out. She blushed red when she thought of Kenshin on top of her. 'Snap out of it!' Kaoru thought shaking her head. She had to find a way to escape, and fast.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After a nice long cold shower, Kenshin stepped out of the bathroom. The lights were off and it was dark, but Kenshin could still slightly see. He looked around for Kaoru, and spotted her asleep on the couch. He made his way over to her noticing she was shivering, and frowned. He then gently picked her up in his arms so he wouldn't wake her, and made his way to the spare bedroom and laid Kaoru down on the futon. Then he covered her with the blankets. He looked at her face and became entranced by her beauty. He brushed a hair from her face and his hand lingered on her cheek. She stirred slightly, and he snapped out of his trance. He quickly got up and walked out of the room.  
  
As soon as Kenshin was out of the room Kaoru opened her eyes and put a hand to her cheek. 'Was I dreaming?' Kaoru thought. She sighed loudly and rolled onto her side. She soon fell into a deep slumber. Kenshin didn't hear her sigh, since he was already in his room. He tried to sleep, but his mind was filled with images of the spirited girl. Finally sleep consumed him, and he was plagued with his normal nightmares.  
  
A/N: Sorry I know it's short, but I've been busy with homework. Please review and tell me what you think! ^_^X 


	4. Chapter 4

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Oh well.  
  
A/N: Sorry I took so long to update again, but my computer got all screwed up!  
  
Tsugoi Kakarlena: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Sorry the chapters are so short.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Kaoru awoke to the smell of miso soup emanating from the kitchen. Slowly images of last night came flooding back to her. 'The last thing I remember is that I was lying on the couch. I must've fallen asleep.' Kaoru thought sleepily to herself. 'Then how did I get here?' Her eyes widened as realization donned on her. 'Kenshin must've carried me. Could he really be that caring?' She shook her head. 'No, he probably just wanted me out of the way.'  
  
She slowly arose on sleepy limbs, and headed towards the kitchen. There she found Kenshin sharpening his katana, and a bowl of hot miso soup on the counter. Silently she made her way over to the counter and sat down. While Kaoru was eating her soup, the phone rang. Kenshin stopped sharpening his katana, and answered the phone.  
  
"What?" Kenshin hissed, for he was in a bad mood this morning. He got little sleep during the night because of the gruesome nightmares he had.  
"I have an assignment for you." Was the reply. Kenshin's silence told him to continue. "Toki Yuro is the target. You will go to his house at 1am. Leave no witnesses." The voice said. Without another word, Kenshin hung up the phone.  
  
Kenshin turned to find Kaoru staring at him. She had been trying to listen to the conversation, but it was too hard to hear what the voice on the other end of the line was saying. Kaoru's curiosity got the best of her. "Who was that?" She asked. "None of your business." Kenshin merely stated. Kaoru huffed. "Jerk" she mumbled to herself. Kenshin glared at her for a moment, then sat down on the couch and continued to sharpen his katana.  
  
They passed the rest of the day in silence, except for the occasional questions asked by Kaoru. At 10 O'clock Kaoru went to bed, and left Kenshin by himself. At 12:30am Kenshin checked on Kaoru to make sure she was okay before he left. He found her sleeping peaceful, with her hair strewn about her. He stared at her for a moment before leaving the room. He sighed. 'I wish that I wouldn't have to kill anymore.' He thought to himself. 'For once I just wish that I could have a peaceful.' For a moment his amber eyes turned a harmless violet, but then just as quickly they flickered back to amber.  
  
Kenshin arrived at the home of Toki Yuro at exactly 1am. He jumped to ledge of the bedroom window and entered the house. Everything was quiet, except for the sound of light breathing. Kenshin's eyes quickly adjusted to the dark, and he could see a form lying on a futon. He cautiously made his way over to the futon, and found that it was his target. He unsheathed his katana, and in one swift movement, ended the man's life. Blood poured onto the floor creating a puddle of blood, which gave the room a rusty smell. Kenshin wiped his blade off, and exited the way he came in. The sky shook with thunder as he ran home. The rain fell and it cleansed Kenshin of the targets blood, though he could still smell the rusty stench.  
  
Meanwhile back at Kenshin's apartment Kaoru awoke to the sound of thunder. She shivered. She had always hated thunder, but she loved the rain. The rain always seemed to cleanse you of your sins. Kaoru got up to see if Kenshin was awake, because she was beginning to get a little afraid. She looked in his room, to find that he wasn't there, and then looked to see whether he was in the living room. She found that he was not there either, so she lay down on the couch. 'Where could he be?' Kaoru asked herself. 'I hope he gets back soon.'  
  
Kenshin finally arrived home to find Kaoru curled up on the couch. He left her there because he didn't want her to wake up, and see him like this. He quickly took a shower and made his way back to the living room. Kaoru was now awake. "Where have you been?" she asked him. "Out," Was his only reply. "Why are you up?" he asked her. She looked away in embarrassment, and mumbled something. "What?" he asked. "I'm afraid of thunder," she spat, "Happy now?" He smirked at the thought of someone so strong being afraid of thunder. He sat down next to her and chuckled. "What's so funny?" she yelled. He started to reply, but was cut off by the rumble of thunder. Kaoru jumped and grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be Kenshin. At first he was shocked at her actions, but he then his arm unconsciously snaked around her waist. Kaoru laid her head on Kenshin's chest and sighed. Kenshin allowed himself this peaceful night and laid his cheek on Kaoru's head. The two fell asleep like this, as the rain continued to pour down outside. Little did they know a figure watched them from the shadows. The figure slipped out the door unnoticed, and made his way to a payphone located on the street below. He dialed a number and a low voice answered. "Hello?" it asked. "It's me. It's just as you said, Battousai has a weakness." "So you've seen the girl?" "Yes, she very pretty. No wonder why Battousai likes her so much." "So will you be aiding me in my attempts to kill the Battousai?" "Only if I get to keep the girl afterwards." "Very well, I will contact you when you are needed." With that the phone line went dead.  
  
A/N: So did you like it? I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. ^_^X 


	5. Chapter 5

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Oh well.  
  
A/N: I hoped you liked the last chapter! Thanks to all who reviewed.  
  
Sword Master Jeff: I'm glad you like it. You'll see who the mysterious guy is soon!  
  
Tsugoi Kakarlena: I'm updating!  
  
Demon11: Thank you so much!  
  
JustMe: Thanks!  
  
Donna8175: Thank you very much! I'm glad the characters in my fic seem believable and interesting to you!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Kenshin woke feeling very warm. He opened his eyes to find Kaoru slumped across his chest. He mentally slapped himself. 'You baka! How many times do I have to tell you not to get involved with anyone?' He yelled at himself. Kenshin gently pulled Kaoru off his chest, and laid her on the couch. He could remember how her soft, silky hair felt against his cheek. 'I need to get some fresh air.' He told himself. He made breakfast for Kaoru, and left a not saying he wouldn't be back for awhile. On the way out of the apartment building, he ran into someone.  
  
"Hey, what's the rush?" a familiar voice asked him. "Sorry, Sano. I guess I just really need a break." Answered Kenshin. Sanosuke Sagara was also working for the same person as Kenshin was. Sano was the closest thing Kenshin had to a friend, and often hung out at Kenshin's apartment. "Having girl problems?" asked a smirking Sano. ' Great, he must've heard about Kaoru. I'll never hear the end of this.' Kenshin said flatly to himself. " She's a handful." Stated Kenshin. "Really?" asked Sano raising an eyebrow. Kenshin sighed; he knew how Sano's dirty mind worked. "Don't be a pervert, Sano." "I could watch her for you, if you want." Kenshin thought it over. He knew Sano would never harm Kaoru, he would just annoy her. He smirked at the thought. "Fine, but don't let her out of the apartment." "Sure thing."  
  
Kaoru awoke to the sound of someone rummaging through the fridge. "Who the Hell are you, and where's Kenshin?" screeched Kaoru. "Calm down, Missy! Kenshin went out for a little while. My name's Sano, I'm a friend of Kenshin's." "Then why are you here?" She asked him. "To watch you." He coolly stated. "I don't need a babysitter!"  
  
Huffed Kaoru. "Whatever, Missy," Was Sano's reply.  
  
Many hours later Kenshin arrived back at his apartment, only to find Kaoru and Sano playing poker. "It's not possible, you beat me again!" Sano yelled. "Oh, it's possible, now pay up!" Replied Kaoru (A/N: We all know that Sano has a gambling problem). Sano grumbled as he handed over a small slump of cash to Kaoru. "I see you two are getting along nicely." Said Kenshin, coming in the door. "Remind me never to play poker with Missy here, ever again." Stated Sano. "Oh, don't be a sore loser, Sano!" Chuckled Kaoru. "So, you feeling better now that you've had a nice long brake from Jou-chan?" asked Sano, as Kaoru gave him a glare. Kenshin just nodded. "Oh and by the way boss called, he wants to meet with us tonight." Kenshin sighed, "Very well."  
  
Later that night Kenshin and Sano left to meet with their boss, leaving Kaoru all by herself. She missed their company, especially Kenshin's. She always felt safer when he was around. Since there was nothing to do Kaoru lay down on the couch and went to sleep.  
  
'Big mistake.' Thought a man hidden in the shadows. His name was Gohei Hiruma. Gohei crept out of the shadows toward Kaoru and reached his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a cloth that was soaked in anesthetic and pressed it up against her mouth. Kaoru immediately woke up after feeling something press hard against her mouth. She opened her eyes and saw a man standing over her, a perverted smile on his lips. She tried to scream, but the world around was quickly fading into darkness. Gohei felt Kaoru go limp and he lifted her off the couch. He left a note from his boss to the Battousai, and quickly left out the door. 'I can't wait until this is over, and I get the girl. But until them I'll just have to wait, or boss will kill me.' Thought Gohei as he carried Kaoru away.  
  
Meanwhile, Sano and Kenshin were in a meeting with their boss. "Why did you want to meet with us, Boss?" Sano asked, as he and Kenshin sat down. "As you know, I hired that girl to 'kill me', so you could capture her," said their boss, Katsuki, "You also know that she is a very skilled assassin. I plan to make her work for me, in attempts to wipe out all of our enemies. With two highly skilled assassins working together on the same side, no one would interfere with our plans." "So, you want to make Jou- chan work for you?" asked Sano. Before Katsuki could replied Kenshin asked, "How do you plan on making her work for you? She's very stubborn." "Well I'll make a deal for her. She can work for me or can die. It'll be her choice." Replied Katsuki. Kenshin cursed Katsuki silently and glared at him, but he kept his mouth shut. "I want to meet with her soon. Bring her by here three days from now, same time." With that Katsuki got and left. "We better get going Sano, it's late." Kenshin said. They got up and left the building. The drive home was quiet, and both men were deep in thought.  
  
They arrived back at their apartment building and went there separate ways. Kenshin slowly walked back to his apartment building, deep in thought, when he noticed the door to his apartment was slightly ajar. 'She can't have escaped!' He thought to himself as he whipped open the door. Everything looked normal, but something was definitely wrong. Kenshin franticly searched for Kaoru, but there was no trace of her. Kenshin finally spotted a letter on the couch, addressed to him. He ripped open the letter. He read quickly: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Battousai,  
  
I have the girl. If you want to see her alive again then I suggest you come to the abandoned warehouse by the river. Come alone. Be there at 12:00 p.m., tomorrow night. I shall enjoy torturing the girl if you do not show.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Kaoru!' Thought Kenshin. His eyes turned a glowing amber. 'Whoever kidnapped you is going to pay with their life.' Sano felt Kenshin's ki flare, and decided to see what was wrong. He saw that Kenshin's door was open, so he let himself in. He saw Kenshin standing in the middle of the room. "Hey Kenshin, what's wrong? Jou-chan annoying you, again." He asked. Kenshin turned around and his eyes met Sano's. Sano shivered at seeing Kenshin's glowing amber eyes. "She's been kidnapped, Sano." Said Kenshin, no emotions showing up in his voice. "What do you mean she's been kidnapped?! By who? I'll beat the daylights out of them!" Yelled Sano. Kenshin hung his head, so that his eyes were covered. If Sano could have seen Kenshin's eyes, he would have seen sadness and pain, along with many other emotions. Sano grabbed the letter from Kenshin's hands and quickly read it. "So what are we going to do?" Sano asked Kenshin. "I am going to do what the letter says." Replied Kenshin in a soft voice. "Fine, but I'm coming with you." Said Sano. "No." Stated Kenshin. " I will not put Miss Kaoru's life in more danger than it's already in." Sano was about to argue, but the look Kenshin gave him made him stop. He just nodded his head and said, "Fine, but you better bring home Jou-chan safely. I'll let boss know what happened." "Thanks, Sano." Was Kenshin's half-hearted reply. Sano turned to leave, but before he did he said, "Don't worry, Kenshin. Jou- chan's a strong person." Sano left Kenshin alone and headed back to his apartment. 'Kaoru please be okay. If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't forgive myself.' Kenshin thought.  
  
A/N: So, what do you think. Sorry about the suspense! I'll try to update as soon as possible. Please R&R! ^_^X 


	6. Chapter 6

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Oh well.  
  
A/N: I hoped you all liked the last chapter! Thanks to my reviewers.  
  
Sword Master Jeff: Thank you very much, you're so nice! Oh yeah, and I think Jou-chan means little missy.  
  
Tsugoi Kakarlena: I'm glad you like my story so much.  
  
^ ^: Thanks. ^_^X  
  
Chapter 6:  
  
The day after Kaoru was kidnapped, seemed to drag on forever, to Kenshin. He spent the whole day worrying about Kaoru, and didn't even eat. 11:30p.m finally came around, and Kenshin was getting ready to leave. He grabbed his katana and car keys, and hurried out the door. Kenshin hopped into his car and sped off into the night.  
  
"He's late," said Gohei, "can I have the girl now?" "Patience, Gohei, the girl will be yours soon enough." Said his boss. "But, Enishi, can't I just- " Gohei started to say. "You will wait." Stated Enishi coldly. Gohei looked at Kaoru's limp form (Kaoru is still out because it was really, really strong anesthetic), which lay on the ground. 'He better come for her soon' he thought impatiently. Enishi grew tense as he felt the Battousai's ki grow nearer. 'I will defeat you this time Battousai.' He thought.  
  
Kenshin's car screeched to a stop, outside of the abandoned warehouse. He grabbed his katana, which lay on the seat next to him, and got out of his car. He searched for Kaoru's ki, and found it, along with two other kis, just inside the warehouse. Cautiously, but quickly, he made his way inside. Once inside he saw Kaoru's limp form lying on the ground. Two men were standing by her; both were armed with katanas. Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he recognized one of the men. "Enishi, I should have known it was you. I swear if you hurt Kaoru in anyway, you will die slowly, and painfully." Kenshin stated icily. "Now, now Battousai, I'd watch what you'd say. Unless you want the girl to suffer." Said Enishi, smirking evilly. "Stop your talk Enishi, and come fight me." Said Kenshin, whose eyes flashed amber. "Gladly." Said Enishi as he got into stance, and charged Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin met Enishi's sword with his own, and countered his attack. Enishi blocked all Kenshin's attacks with skill, and charged at him again. Kenshin was able to dodge Enishi's attack, but was caught off guard when Enishi's knee collided with his stomach. Kenshin fell to his knees, and grabbed his stomach. "I see you've gotten better, since the last time we fought." He said to Enishi. "Indeed I have Battousai. This time I will defeat you." Enishi replied. Kenshin stood and got into his Sou Ryu Sen stance. In the blink of an eye, Kenshin seem to disappear and appear, right in front of Enishi. Enishi moved, just in time to miss being beheaded. He received a deep gash on his arm, and silently cursed himself for not being able to fully dodge his attack. 'I must not let Battousai win.' Enishi thought to himself as he got into his special stance (Sorry, I don't know any of Enishi's moves). He leapt forward with great speed, and flew towards Kenshin. Kenshin readied himself for the attack, but was caught off guard, when Enishi disappeared from his sight. Suddenly he sensed Enishi behind them, and moved just in time to feel a sharp pain on his side. Enishi sword just nearly missed killing him, but Enishi was able to make a deep gash in Kenshin's side. ' Damn, he's gotten faster.' Kenshin thought to himself. Blood flowed from his wound, but he didn't pay any attention to it. 'This must end soon.' He stood and got into his Ryu Shou Sen stance. Enishi smirked at him, and got into a defensive stance.  
  
Gohei was off to the side, and had been watching the entire fight. 'This doesn't look too good for Enishi. I better get out of here, or I'll go down, with him. I might as well take the girl with me, too. After all, Enishi doesn't need her anymore.' He thought. So Enishi picked up Kaoru, and tried to make run for the door. At that moment he stopped cold, when he heard the Battousai's cold voice. " I wouldn't do that, unless you want to die." He growled. Gohei instantly put Kaoru down, and ran out the door. Then the fight continued.  
  
Kenshin launched into action and headed straight for Enishi. Time seemed to stop, as Kenshin moved with his god-like speed. But every thing seemed to speed up again as Enishi felt Kenshin's sword go through his stomach. He gasped in horror, and fell to his knees. "It seems that you are the better fighter, Battousai." He said with his last breath. His lifeless body lay on the floor in a puddle of blood. Kenshin wiped his sword off, and walked over to Kaoru. He picked her up, and silently made his way, back to his car.  
  
When he reached his apartment, he didn't bother to let Sano know he was okay. He just made his way straight to Kaoru's room and laid her down on her futon. He sat down and rested his back against the wall. He watched her sleep all night long, making sure that no one else tried to take her from him.  
  
Kaoru awoke with hazy thoughts. Then all the memories of what she last experienced came flooding back to her. She bolted upright and saw that she was in Kenshin's apartment. "But how did I get back here?" She whispered to herself. She looked around the room, and saw Kenshin slumped against the wall. His face was pale and he was breathing hard. Kaoru made her way over to him and put a hand on his forehead. 'He's burning up.' She thought to herself. She then noticed the wound on his side. 'Oh no, She thought, He's hurt!' She dragged Kenshin's limp form over to her futon, and laid him down. She ran to the bathroom and fanatically searched for bandages. She finally found them, and rushed back to Kenshin. She slowly and carefully wrapped his bandages. When she was done with that, she got a wet cloth and placed it on his forehead. 'This is all my fault. I shouldn't have been so weak. Oh Kenshin, please be okay.' Tears rolled down her face, and she felt a hand wipe them away. She let out a gasp and looked up to see two violet eyes staring at her. "Kenshin."  
  
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I hope you like this chapter. I know it's short, but I've been busy. I hope the fighting scene doesn't stink. ^_^X 


	7. Chapter 7

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Oh well.  
  
A/N: Sorry I took so long to update, I've been busy. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter!  
  
kaoru the assassin: Thank you, and sorry I took so long to update.  
  
Cherry Chibi: I'm so happy that you love my story! I hope to hear more your comments on this chapter! ^_^X  
  
Skyline456: Thank you for adding me to your favorite authors list!  
  
Kaoru-chan23: Thank you!  
  
SpArKs5: Don't worry, my story gets even better.  
  
Sword Master Jeff: Thanks for telling me about my error, and yes I did mean Gohei.  
  
Tsugoi Kakarlena: Thanks. And by the way, your story is very good. ^_^X  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Kenshin slowly regained consciousness, as he felt cool drops of liquid falling on his face. He opened his eyes, and his heart was immediately was saddened. Kaoru was crying, and he couldn't bare the sight, so he gently wiped away all her tears. He heard her gasp, and say his name. "Why are you crying?" He asked her softly.  
  
"I was worried about you," she mumbled, looking away. Kenshin's eyes widened in shock, even though she had mumbled, he heard what she had said. 'She was worried about me?' He asked himself. He looked at her and realized she was blushing. This made him smirk. The phone rang, startling them both. Kenshin silently cursed at the phone, sat up before Kaoru could object. He made his way over to the phone, and answered it. "Yes?" Kenshin asked sharply. "I assume you were able to rescue the girl?" asked Katsuki's. "Yes," was all Kenshin said. "Good, you have an assignment tonight. The girl is going too. I will have Sano fill you in on everything." With that, the line went dead. Kenshin hung up the phone and turned to stare at Kaoru. 'Why does he want Kaoru to go?' He asked himself.  
  
Before Kaoru could ask who was on the phone, Sano burst through the door. "Oì! Kenshin, Jou-chan, where are you?" He yelled. "We're in here, Sano." Kenshin yelled back. Sano came bursting into the room and ran over to Kaoru. He gave her a big hug, which made her unable to breathe. "I'm glad to see you're okay!" He said, "You gave me quite the scare." Kaoru laughed and hugged him back. "I missed you too, Sano." She chuckled. He stopped hugging her and turned to Kenshin, his face becoming serious. "Did the boss tell you about tonight?" He said soberly.  
  
Kenshin nodded his head, "He said you would fill me in on the details." Kaoru left the room, so the two could talk alone. "The boss wants the Missy to come along, so that he can test her skills," said Sano, "Our objective is to eliminate all of the Itoshimi Clan. As you know they have killed several of our men, and are constantly getting in our way. They have been recently taken over by Makoto Shishio. They are now stronger than ever because of Shishio, and are planning an attack against us. So basically we are to kill them, before they kill us. We are to breech their headquarters tonight." Kenshin growled and his eyes darkened, as he recalled the last time he saw Shishio. "The girl may come along, but I will be the one to kill Shishio." Kenshin filled Kaoru in on what was going to happen come nighttime. He gave her back her katana, but not before lecturing her about not trying anything funny. Kaoru was more than eager to get out of the apartment, but didn't look forward to her grim task. Even though she killed for a living, she did not kill for pleasure.  
  
Nighttime came around slowly, and the three of them left for the Itoshimi headquarters. They met the rest of the assassins that were to help them with this mission, out of the headquarters. Since the building was enormous, they all had to split up into pairs, and enter the building from different locations. Kaoru was paired with Kenshin so he could keep an eye on her. They entered through an open window, on the first floor. The building was dark, except for a few lights that lighted the hallways. Kenshin and Kaoru crept stealthily through the hallway, and stopped as they reached a door. Kenshin cracked opened the door and peered inside. Two men were passed out on floor, with bottles of sake surrounding them. He rushed inside the room, and in one fluid swipe, slit both men's throats. Kenshin flicked the blood off his sword, and exited the room. The pair continued down the dimly lit hallway, until they reached a flight of stairs, which descended into an underground level.  
  
Kenshin led the way, as they descended downward. Once the stairs ended, they were met with another hallway. It was dark and damp, and it had fewer doors. However, this time the hallway wasn't empty. A figure stood waiting in the middle of the hallway, with a smirk on its face. The figure stepped into the light, and Kaoru's eyes widened. She recognized the figure in the hallway; it was none other than Kamatari Honjo.  
  
Kaoru knew him because she had met him during when of her jobs, back when she was a Rurouni. He to was an assassin, but he was completely different from her. He dressed like a woman and sounded like a woman, but he was a good fighter. During the mission in which they met, Kamatari had pretended to befriend her, and then tried to kill her. Kaoru at the time didn't know who Kamatari worked for, so she was never really tried to pursue him after he got away. Kaoru narrowed her eyes, and grinned evilly. Now she could have her revenge on Kamatari. She turned to Kenshin and told him to leave this fight to her. Kenshin looked at her for a minute, as if debating what to do. He finally nodded, and headed down another hallway to the right. Kaoru looked back at Kamatari. "So we meet again. This time you will not escape." She sneered as she got into a stance.  
  
Kenshin ran down the hallway, with his mind still on Kaoru. He shook his head, and focused on the task ahead. 'I will find you, Shishio.' He thought.  
  
A/N: Again, I'm so sorry I took so long to update. I know this chapter is short, but I'll try to make up for it in the next chapter. Enjoy! ^_^X 


	8. Chapter 8

Crossing Paths  
  
Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Mou!  
  
A/N: Hello everyone, hope you all had a Happy Holiday!!! Sorry I took so long to update again!  
  
LionHeart823: I updated! I updated! LOL  
  
Sword Master Jeff: Thanks. Your stories are awesome!  
  
Angel of Fire: I hope this chapter is easier to read.   
  
Baka: Thanks!  
  
Cherri Chibi: I really glad you are enjoying my story!!!  
  
Stoictimer: Thanks. I think it's more interesting when they're all assassins!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Kaoru got into her stance facing Kamatari, with her katana grasped firmly in her hand.  
  
"You are foolish if you think you can defeat me!" Laughed Kamatari, as he also got into a stance.  
  
Kaoru merely sneered at his remark. Suddenly Kamatari charged at her with great speed; his Scythe positioned at a deadly angle. Kaoru barely missed being hit and cursed slightly.  
  
'Damn, he's gotten faster since the last time we met,' thought Kaoru, 'I'm still faster though.'  
  
Kaoru disappeared from sight, and in a blink of an eye, reappeared above Kamatari. With a great force she brought her katana down and impaled it into his shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound, and Kamatari grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Why you little wench, you'll pay for that!" Kamatari hissed in pain.  
  
With blood still gushing out of his wound, he charged at Kaoru again. But this time his speed was greater and Kaoru was slightly caught off guard. Kamatari took this opportunity to kick Kaoru in the side. She went flying and hit the wall hard; her katana flung from her grasp. Kaoru felt hot, sticky liquid dripping down the back of her neck, but ignored it. Before Kamatari could attack again, she rushed over to her katana. She picked it up just in time to block one of Kamatari's attacks.  
  
"I've had enough of you!" Yelled Kaoru, as she rushed at Kamatari. Their weapons met with tremendous force, and the sound of vibrating metal filled the air.  
  
Kaoru increased the pressure on his weapon, but he pushed back on hers with the same amount of force. Then without warning Kamatari exerted a brute amount of force on her weapon, knocking her backwards onto the floor. But before Kaoru could get up, Kamatari's chain encircled her neck, cutting off her air supply.  
  
"You're wrong if you thought you could defeat me so easily!" Laughed Kamatari, as he tightened his chain around Kaoru's neck.  
  
Kaoru grasped at the chain around her neck in attempts to get it off, but it was no use. Kamatari lazily made his way over to Kaoru, with his scythe in hand, and Kaoru tried desperately to reach her sword, which was only a couple of inches away. 'Almost there!' Kaoru thought as her fingers brushed the hilt of her katana.  
  
"Now you will die!" Yelled Kamatari, as he raised his scythe for the final blow.  
  
Everything seemed to slow down as his scythe came down upon her. Just inches before the metal touched her skin, Kamatari halted in mid blow. Kaoru's katana was imbedded in his stomach. Kamatari gasped in surprise and pain as he fell to his knees. Kaoru's neck was freed from the chains, and she took in a big gulp of air. Kamatari was still on his knees in complete shock.  
  
"How could you win?" He kept muttering to himself. Kaoru got to her feet and looked down upon him with some pity. "You were a worthy opponent." Said Kaoru softly.  
  
Kamatari looked up at Kaoru with hatred. "I do not need your pity," he spat, "for one day I will be together again with Shishio. Even if it is in the afterlife." Kaoru looked away as he took his last breath and collapsed onto the floor. Kaoru stood still for a moment, but then quickly pulled her katana from Kamatari's body. She looked one last time at the body before running in the direction that Kenshin had gone.  
  
A/N: Sorry to all Kamatari fans. I know that this chapter was short, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter!!!! ^_^X 


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